Sash-lock



P'atehted Ian. 3|, I899. r. B. KOUES.

SASH LOCK.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: kOWa ATTORNEY.

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FRANK B. KOUES, OF RUTHERFORD, NElV JERSEY.

SASH-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,471, dated January 31, 1899.

Application filed March 14, 189 8. Serial No. 673,775. (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. KOUES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved automatic lock adapted for windows, doors, and various other structures requiring to be fastened and locked together.

The invention further has for its object to provide a lock which cannot be tampered with from the outside or surreptitiously unfastened by burglars and thieves.

The invention consists in an automatic lock constructed and arranged as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The manner of carrying out this invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of the meeting-rails of two window-sashes, showing the invention applied thereto and locking the said rails together. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the meeting-rails of the two sashes, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the invention as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the casing inclosing a part of the lock and showing a rear View thereof. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of a modification of the invention.

The invention here shown is applied to the meeting-rails 1 and 2 of the upper and lower sashes, respectively, of a window. The center of the meeting-rail 1, at its edge, adjacent to the top of the meeting-rail 2 of the lower sash, is cut away, so as to provide a recess or socket for the member 3 of the lock which serves as the keeper and which, as here shown, consists of a tilting block or strip of metal fitting snugly in said recess and mounted by means of pivots 4, having their hearings in plates 5 in the upper surface of the meeting-rail l to tilt in said recess or socket. As shown in Fig. 2, the upper surface of the block 3 is flush with the upper surface of the meeting-rail 1, and the front surface is flush with the surface of the meeting-rail 1 which is adjacent to that of the meeting-rail 2. Located below the block 3 is a space 5, cut in the meeting-rail 1, which forms a continuation of the recess 01' socket in which the block 3 is located In order that the block 3 may have a tilting movement in one direction, it is made larger at its rear end 6 or counterweighted, as shown. By means of this construction any downward pressure on the top of the forward end of the block 3 will cause the block 3 to be tilted downward at itsforward end into the space 5, and upon being released by means of its counterweight to automatically return to its normal position, being held at its rear lower end in such normal position by a suitable stop or ledge '7.

The second member of the lock, which is mounted in the meeting-rail of the lower sash, is preferably constructed as follows: At about the center of the upper part of the meeting-rail 2 of the lower sash and in its face, which is brought flush with the corresponding surface of the meeting-rail 1 of the upper sash, the woodwork is cut away and a suitable metallic casing 8 is inserted therein. The top of the casing 8 may be made removable, and within said casing is mounted the second member of the lock, consisting of a swinging plate or bar 9, extending from end to end of said casing 8 and pivoted to the sides thereof at the point 10. This bar9 just referred to is preferably made of a wedge or tapering shape, as shown, narrowing toward its lower edge and of some considerable width at its top, whereby the plate 9 is counterweighted, so as always to have a tendency to drop forward. The front face of the casing 8 is formed with an opening 11, extending from side to side of the casing and located in front of and coinciding with the space 5 in the meeting-rail 1 of the upper sash. The plate 9 in its normal position leans forward by gravity, so as to rest on the lower edge of the opening 11 and partly project into the space 5,'as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In this position its upper edge is seen as projecting under and lying against the under side of the forward part of the block 3. To look the plate 9 in position, a second tilting plate 12, pivoted to the sides of the casing 8, as at 13, and counterweighted at its upper portion, is located behind the plate 9 and has one of its upper edges resting in a notch or groove 14 in the rear of the plate 9. By this means it will readily be seen that the plate 9 cannot move back until the plate 12 is released from the notch 14 in plate 9. As here shown, this is preferably accomplished by forming the plate 12 with the curved lower portion 15, whereby upon any force being applied to the lower end of plate 12 the curved portion 15 will be brought against the lower portion of the plate 9, throwing the upper portion of the plate 12 backward and out of engagement with the plate 9. The means for moving back the plate 12, as here shown, consists of a rod or arm 16, connected at its lower end by links 17 or in any other suitable Way to the lower portion of the plate 12. The arm or rod 16'is provided at its upper end with a suitable extension 17, passing through a hole or opening 18 in the top of casing 8 and being provided with a press-button 19.

The operation of the device comprising the entire lock is as follows: As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the meeting-rails 1 and 2 are locked together, the upper edge of plate 9 resting beneath and abutting against the forward part of the tilting block 3. The plate 12 is in engagement with the plate 9 and looks it securely against being moved backward. Now to unlock the parts the rod 16 is pushed downward by simply pressing on the button 19, which throws back the locking-plate 12, and, bringing the lower edge of the latter against the lower portion of the plate 9, throws the latter back, so as to clear the tilting block3 and bring the upper part of plate 9 within the casing 8. The rod 16 still being kept pressed down, the plates 9 and 12 are held in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the lower sash then being raised, the plate 9 being out of the way of the tilting block 3, the rod 16 is released and the plate 9 fallsback toits normal position, the plate 12 also dropping back and engaging with and locking the plate 9.

Now when it is desired to close and lock the window the lower sash is pulled down and the projecting plate 9,which acts as a latch,being brought against thetilting block 3 will tilt the latter downward, pass it,and be brought to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the block 3 having first swung down into the space 5, and then, as the lower sash is closed, swinging back into its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In this way the upper and lower sashes of the window are effectively locked together. The plate 12 looking the plate 9 prevents the plate 9 from being pushed back by a knife-blade or other means inserted from the outside between the meeting-rails of the sashes. It will thus be seen that the yielding member or block 3 acts as a locking-keeper and that the other member is comprised of a pivoted latch, a device for locking said latch, and means for unlock ing said latch and throwingit out of its locked or normal position. As the invention broadly contemplates as one of its features a member which is in effect a locking-keeper yielding in one direction, the member 3 may be a sliding plate over which the plate 9 could ride and pass under, in such instance the member 3 being restored to its normal position by a spring instead of gravity. With regard to the second member of the entire lock various modifications of the construction shown therein might be employed, operating substantiallyin the same way and producing the same result. To guard against the plate 9 being thrown too far back, a suitable stop, such as a pin 20, may be employed in the side of the casing 8, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and, further,,to guard against the parts being thrown to a dead-center the rod 16 is located at a slight angle or inclination, as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification of the device in which instead of the rod 16 being connected to the plate 12 the rod 21 is employed,

extending through a suitable guide 22 in the casing 8. In lieu of the plate 9 the plate 23 is employed, constructed in other respects like plate 9 and having an inwardly-curved lower portion 24, projecting under and at a little distance below the lower end of the rod 21. Instead of the plate 12 the plate 25 is employed, constructed similarly to the plate 2, except that its lower portion is straight instead of curved and normally rests against the rod 21, as shown. The rod 21 is constructed with shoulders 26 and 27 or other suitable means for engaging the lower edge of plate 25, the lower shoulder 26 normally engaging the lower edge of plate 25. Now in operating the device according to this modification the rod 21 is pressed downward and, engaging the curved lower portion 24 of the plate 23, tilts back the plate 23 into the easing 8, the plate 2.5 prior to this movement having been tilted back by the shoulder 26 and the rod 21 being held down the lower portion of plate 25 is located in engagement with the shoulder 27. Upon releasing the rod 21 the counterweight of plate 25 will cause it to tilt into engagement with plate 23 and bearing on shoulder 27 to lift up rod 21 until shoulder 26 is brought into engagement with the lower edge of plate 25.

This invention contemplates its use in various other ways besides that shown-as, for example, with shutters, doors, and other structures-and in these various uses the changes and modifications to adapt them to such use would be obvious and be comprehended within the terms of the use of this invention, springs being employed instead of gravity and various details of the particular construction, as would-be necessitated by the particular use and location to which the invention was applied.

I claim-- 1. A lock consisting of a locking-keeper in combination with a normally-locked latch adapted to ride over and push back said locking-keeper in one direction of its movement and to enter into locking engagement therewith, a lock normally locking said latch in locked position and means for unlocking said lock and throwing back said latch substantially as set forth.

2. A lock consisting primarily of two members, one of which isa yielding locking-keeper and the other a normally-locked latch adapted to ride over, push back and enter into looking engagement with said lockingkeeper, and a locking device automatically engaging and locking said latch and means for releasing said lock which in turn throws back said latch substantially as set forth.

3. A lockconsisting of a yielding lockingkeeper in combination with a normally-locked latch adapted to ride over, push back and enter into locking engagement with the yielding keeper, a locking device automatically engaging said normally-locked latch and means for releasing said locking device from said latch, and in turn releasing said latch from said yielding locking-keeper,said locked latch and its locking device being adapted to automatically return to their normal position as set forth.

4:. A tilting counterweighted latch in cornbination with a tilting counterweighted lock, normally in engagement with said latch and means for positively'releasing at one operation said lock from said latch and throwing back said latch and lock from their normal position as set forth.

5. A tilting counterweighted latch, a tilting counterweighted locking device normally in engagement with and locking said latch and an operating-rod in engagement with said locking device and out of engagement with said latch and acting on said locking device to release it from said latch and successively operate said latch and locking device as set forth.

6. The upper meeting-rail of a window-sash provided with a recess at its top and on its inner face, a tilting counterweighted plate located in the upper portion of said recess and yielding onits forward side downwardly into said recess, a stop in said recess limiting the rearward movement of said tilting plate, in combination with a casing located in the meeting-rail of the lower sash adjacent to said recess in the meeting-rail of the upper sash and having an opening coinciding with said recess, a tilting latch-plate pivoted in said casingand having its upper portion counterweighted and normally projecting through said opening in said casing, a tilting plate extending across said casing and having its upper portion counterweighted and normally engaging with and locking said tilting latchplate and an operating-rod projecting through the top of said casing and engaging said locking-plate, whereby on pressing down said rod FRANK B. KOUES.

\Vitnesses:

OHARLEs- L. LIVINGSTON, WM. BONDY. 

